Wow, so much has changed in the past week or so, I don't know if a single post could contain it all!

1. My taxes, returns, and bonus checks have all come in, and I'm pretty happy about this- my emergency fund is growing and I should definitely reach my goal for the fall in a matter of months. I still plan on working the second job during the summer so that I can save up even more, but with what I have now there isn't as much crushing pressure to earn. Actually, that's not necessarily a good thing either, as that pressure is what is keeping me focused!
2. Valentine's Day really wasn't all that bad- certainly an improvement over last year. This time I had several good friends with good advice, and with some time well spent I made it through. This coming year is going to be great!
3. My book-reading plan is going well too, and I'm nearly finished with The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, with just a couple chapters left. I'm going to pause on the book list for a few other select choices, ones that won't necessarily take nearly as long- after that I'll move onto The Millionaire Next Door.
4. I have finally joined the technomasses and I am the proud owner of an iPhone. This handy toy does just about everything, and I really like it. I did not make the choice lightly- I thought about it a great deal as well as the cost that goes with it. Nonetheless, I feel justified in that it does several things for me that I've always struggled with before. It combines my cell phone, my mp3 player, my notebook and several features of my laptop all into one, pocket-sized device. Not only that, but due to my extensive use of Google Calendar, I felt I needed something that was more convenient to access it. I really want to focus on the philosophy that the iPhone is a tool and not necessarily a toy, so I keep reiterating that to myself... but man the mp3 and video player is so nice Even the contract with AT&T isn't so bad, as I've already got the money to pay off the contract(or even the early termination fee if necessary). I guess the only detractor is the manacles of iTunes - this program is wretched
5. My employers have asked me to move my schedule to 3pm- 2 hours earlier- and I couldn't be happier! This gives me much more freedom for mornings. I'm gonna need it for morning church and classroom observations at the many schools.

i. I've taken a break from the podcasts that I listen to, including Rush Limbaugh and Dave Ramsey. I miss listening to music so those guys get to take a back seat for a while. I'm sure I'll pick them back up sometime but for now, I wanna dance
ii. School is going really well- I've been getting schoolwork done ahead of time and it's doing wonders for me.
iii. Made a crab risotto with sage for Melissa. It was fantastic! You can now call me Chef Raven!
iv. Life in general is pretty awesome. I've learned quite a bit about myself recently and I'm striving to make changes for the better. I don't really want to go into details right now but perhaps in the future I can indulge in the readers of this blog.